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India marched into Hockey Asia Cup 2025 final after a crushing 7-0 victory against China in Rajgir on Saturday, September 6. Abhishek scored two goals, while Shilanand Lakra, Dilpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, and Rajkumar Pal also contributed to the hosts' commanding win. With this victory, India advanced to the final to face Korea, who had narrowly defeated Malaysia 4-3 in an exciting match.
India storm into Hockey Asia Cup final with thumping win over China
Needing only a win or a draw to advance, India demonstrated their dominance throughout the match. In contrast, China, who had to win to progress, struggled to build any momentum. Despite having tested India in their opening game of the tournament, the Chinese team was unable to replicate that performance, allowing the hosts to comfortably secure their place in the final.
Notably, the team that emerges as the champion of the continental tournament will earn a spot in next year's World Cup. The prestigious event is set to be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.
So far in the tournament, India had struggled with slow starts, a weakness that had been apparent in previous matches. For instance, they had conceded a goal to Malaysia within just 45 seconds and had a first-quarter collapse against Korea. However, this pattern completely changed on Saturday.
China began the match by maintaining possession, but once India gained control of the ball, they quickly started to penetrate the opponent's defensive circle. Abhishek created the first significant opportunity with a dangerous pass in front of the goal, which Mandeep narrowly missed. This was followed by a sensational play from Jarmanpreet, who set up Shilanand Lakra with a low cross. Lakra promptly converted the pass into a goal in the fourth minute, giving India the lead.
Shilanand continued his momentum, earning India their first penalty corner of the match in the seventh minute. Though Harmanpreet's initial shot was blocked, Dilpreet was there to score on the rebound, making it 2-0 and putting India in full control. Abhishek's persistent attacks continued to trouble the Chinese defense; one of his passes from the left found Rajkumar, whose shot went just wide. India kept up the pressure, constantly challenging China's defensive block with attacks from the wings.
The second quarter saw no change in India's aggressive approach. Abhishek continued to attack, this time from the right, delivering a pass to Mandeep, whose deflection again went just wide. India soon earned another penalty corner, but once more, Harmanpreet's shot was thwarted.
Mandeep extended India's lead to 3-0 in the 18th minute. India's performance was dominant, as China failed to make a single circle penetration until the 20th minute, while India had already made 12. In the 23rd minute, Hardik showcased some brilliant stickwork to get into the D and take a shot, which was saved by the Chinese goalkeeper. The relentless pressure from India forced the keeper to make multiple saves.
Coach Fulton will be pleased with his team's scoring, which now features contributions from all parts of the field. After the midfielders scored in the previous game, it was Rajkumar Pal's turn to shine. The Indian midfielder was in the right place at the right time to score in the 37th minute, making it 4-0. Pal became the eleventh different player to score for India in the tournament, a positive sign heading into the final.
Sukhjeet, who had a knock in the last game, scored in the 39th minute to make it 5-0. This further showed the team's ability to score without relying solely on their captain, Harmanpreet Singh. Abhishek also joined the scoring spree, but it was Sukhjeet who did the hard work, weaving through the defense to set up his striker partner with an easy tap-in. Abhishek then scored his second goal in the 50th minute, making it 7-0 for India. In the final minutes, China attempted to mount some attacks, but the game's outcome was already clear, as reflected by the lopsided score.
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